Spark-plug tester



I 'Ell Ix ySPARK PI.UG TESTER. APPLICATION FILED IMI. 3| i919.

1,333,698.. 1 Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

ERNEST 1. Bass, or eoENEnsvILLE, TENNESSEE.

SPARK-PLUG TESTER.

i .sss.ces.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented Mar. 16, 1920.

Application filed Marche, 1919. serial no. 280.195.

To all wlw/n, t may concern Be 1t known that I. ERNEST l. a citizen of the United States, residing at .Cornersville7 in the county of Marshall and State of" Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Spark-Plug Tester` of which the following is a speciiication. 1

provide a combined tool of the character' setf This vinvention relates to improvements in -spark plug testers, the object of the invention being to` provide a tool which is primarily intended for use as a means for detecting the amount of spark being produced in tlie plug without the necessity of removing the plug 4from the cylinder `head or any of its connections.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. tool. of the character set forth, and which may also be used as a pair of pliers, a wrench or a screwdriver.

A further object of the invention is yto fortlr which is comparatively1 simplein construction, inexpensive to manufacture andverv reliable in its action.

lith these and other objects in view. which will' appear as the description pro` ceeds, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts, all of -which will be more fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings accompanying and torm- Ving part of this specification, l

Figure. 1 is a side view, partlyin section, showing a combined tool constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken approximately ou the line ot hole through which passes a rivet, whereby 'the distance between the jaws of the pliers maybe changed in order to permit the liaws to grip vpipes or nuts of larger or smaller .'diameters,the jaws beingprovided with the usual serrated recesses l which cooperate to form a wrench for gripping such pipes or nuts. i

In the present instance one of the shanks 'et the pliers is cut awav at its outer side so v'as to .form an abutment and a supporting portion 6 on which is secure-d, by means of screws 7 and 8 and a rivet 9, a member 10 of non-conducting material, such as fiber, hard rubber'oi; similar material, as shown in F ig. 1. The member 10 is provided approximately at the center thereof with an opening 11y passing entirely therethrough and of suitable diameter for the purpose presently to be described. On the` outer longitudinal edge of the member 10 is secured a plate 1Q of brass/or other suitable material, said plate be secured to the .member 10 b-y means of a screw 13 and a pair of lugs 14, lone at each end of the `-intonthe o'pening 11 to approximately the sainedistance from each other as the electrot-fles;j of a spark plug, which is usually aboutv g1g ofan inch, and this distance may be adjusted' vby tightening or loosening the screws S. angl-13. The other shank of the pliers ils-"provided with an insulating cover 15 for preventing shock to the user iii-using the device in the manner hereinafter described. the tool, the free end 0f this shank is made in the form of a screwdriver', and is of approximately the saine thickness as the distance between the electrodes of Va spark plug, so that it may be used asaagage for correcting any displacement of such electrodes.

In the use of the tool as a spark plug tester, the screws 8 and 13 are adjusted so that their endsare at the proper distance apart. The tool. is then taken hold of by grasping the shank having the insulating cover 15, and the butt end 16 placed onsome conveniently located metal part ofthe engine while the plate .12 is placed in contact with the spark plug. If there is any current or spark passing through the'plug it will be shown at the points of the screws S and 13. It will thus be seen that I have provided a handy tool by means of which if there is troublewith the engine and it is desired to ascertain whether the fault is in the spark plug this can be done in a few seconds and without the necessity of having to remove the plug or anyof its connections.

While I- have described in detail the structure illustrated, I do not desire to limit For increasing the usefulness of iio my invention to theprecise 'eaures of eenstruc-ton herein shown, as I am aware 'that many mechanical changes may be mede therein Without depalting fronlrthe spirit and scope of the invention ne 'forth in the 'appended claim.

Ha ving thus deserbed my invention, what I claim is: l I

In a spark ping tester, pvoted conducfing members, one ef the pvoted members having an abutment, e block of nen-conductiing material supported by one of the @voted members, andV engagmg the abutment, Saud block of non-conduct1ng mateml having an 'opening formed therethrough, a. reat'vely long metallic pae supported on the block,

' of non-conducting material, scr-ew members extending ino the bleek @umn-conducting material, vone of the screw members having connection with the netellieplate, the op poste screw member hm'ng connection with one of the pveted melfnbere, the ends of the screw members; lying lin des@ pmx mty Wih each -oher- Within, 'the openllg to provide a Spnk gap, and sm nsnatng Covel- 'ior the eppnee pve'ed menen 'n testimony that daim the fmi'egong as my own have hereto nxed my signa# vture 1n the "pesence of two fitnessen ERNEST l Witnesses LANME M STEWART. KA/174). -IARWELL 

